Stasis
by Cameron Claire
Summary: 3 AM. The Organization XIII Kitchen. Vexen calls a secret meeting to explain to Saix, Axel, and Xigbar that unlike most Nobodies, Roxas seems to be growing up. Xigbar did not want to attend this meeting and is ready to give everyone a hard time about it. Axel tries to play it cool. Ax/Rox Ax/Sai Ax/Xigbar


It occurs to more than one of them that this is the most people that have _ever_ sat around the Organization's kitchen table at one time since the day the Dusks dragged it in from wherever it is the Dusks get anything.

Only four of them at a table meant to seat six, but the Organization members tend to give each other a wide berth—at least three yards of personal space a piece. This in order to avoid petty arguments, any one of which could spiral into maiming and dismemberment as easily as it could deescalate into a fit of giggles or a quick shag.

No emotions meant anything could happen at any given time.

So: three yards minimum. Unless you were fuck buddies. And sometimes even then.

Everyone's waiting for Xigbar to break the silence and he doesn't disappoint. Setting his palms on the table, he leans across it toward Saïx with singular, menacing intent. "It's quarter to three. This had better be really fucking interesting. _I_, for one, had other plans."

Saïx nods, unperturbed, like getting the objections over with is one of the bullet points in his meeting agenda.

"Yes, why _are_ we meeting in the middle of the fucking night, in the middle of the fucking kitchen, Saïx?" Axel's light, mocking tone eases some of the tension in the air as Xigbar chuckles. "Was the Round Room on reserve? You just have a craving for good food and good company?"

"He's not likely to find either here," Vexen quips, smirking, though, as usual, there's no one around to laugh with him.

"Good company, eh?" Xigbar raises his brows, then elbows and grins at Axel. "This is getting kinkier than expected."

Axel's face remains impassive, but Vexen chokes.

Saïx stands up, thumbs pressing into the table, "_Enough._ We are here to discuss number XIII. Once we have done so, you may return to your precious regularly scheduled nocturnal activities, whatever, or _whoever_, they may be."

"We couldn't discuss number XIII, oh, say, in the _daytime?_" Axel continues blearily, rubbing the back of his hand across his eyes. "_With_ number XIII?"

Saïx does not deem this worthy of a response. "You three are the only ones aware of number XIII's entire, unique history."

"Cute little Ventus and his cute little murder weapon," Xigbar offers, watching his companions for any signs of surprise and almost disappointed to find none. "Well, what of it? He back in a coma or some shit?"

Saïx and Vexen nod.

Xigbar smiles. "No shit. Again?"

"Fuck," Axel blurts, and at the raised brows Saïx directs at him, amends, more neutrally. "Doubles our work load, doesn't it?" He crosses his ankles and leans back in his chair, arms folding behind his head. "The slacker."

"Double workload." Xigbar rolls his eyes. "Must be Tuesday. So, I repeat, what of it?"

"What _of_ it?" Vexen scoffs in exasperation. "Haven't you fools noticed?"

Xigbar and Axel blink back at him with blank expressions.

Vexen sighs, tapping the pen in his hand against the clipboard he's set on the table. He circles a bar graph and the pair lean in to get a better look at the finely printed labels.

"As you know, Ventus was presumed dead for approximately ten years. Since Roxas' appearance, we have theorized that Ventus' body entered into a kind of stasis, hidden somewhere in Castle Oblivion, while his mind—heart—what have you—found refuge in Sora's. Thus, in Sora's death, Ventus, managed to manifest again in the Nobody, Roxas."

They have discussed as much before in more private meetings between pairs of them. So now they nod as though they get it, though even Vexen doesn't fully comprehend the logistics of it all.

Magic, they figure, the easiest, if not the only, explanation.

"Roxas' recent lab results show highly irregular activity," Vexen continues, "which we hypothesize is the result of this stasis.

"Unlike other Nobodies, Roxas' body is growing and changing. We are seeing seemingly impossible, dramatic spikes in hormonal activity as his body attempts to fast-forward through the growth he should have experienced, making up for lost time, as it were. As his body struggles to adapt he goes into long periods of hibernation, which thus far, seem relatively harmless, perhaps even beneficial."

Vexen pauses here, though his fellow Nobodies keep their poker faces intact with a skill that would make Luxord tear up a little.

The silence carries on for a little too long. Axel coughs.

"So… what?" Xigbar tugs at the strap of his eye patch and leans to level his glare toward Vexen, voice dropping into a disgruntled growl, "We're having a meeting so you can tell us Roxas is about to get really tall and really horny?"

Vexen glares back, a colder, more calculated thing, and straightens the edges of his stack of papers.

"We can expect to see accelerated growth and physical maturation, yes, in addition to the rapid strides in intelligence and abstract reasoning we have already noted in mission reports. He should then reach the level of maturity of a typical twenty-year-old male within a matter of months. And, to answer Xigbar's question, at the time of stasis, he had likely already passed through much of the growth process known as puberty, so, it is likely the height difference will be marginal at best."

Axel offers an exaggerated stretch and yawn. "Well, thank the Lord we met to discuss _this._"

"As if it weren't keeping you up at night," Xigbar snickers back. "I can't tell, are you disappointed or relieved?"

Twists of flame rise up from Axel's knuckles, and Xigbar's grin widens.

Saïx rolls his eyes and grabs Axel's wrist, the blaze dying out. "Gentlemen, _please._"

Saïx nods to Vexen to continue and with a disapproving scowl, he does.

"Roxas may also exhibit traits often characteristic of the quote-unquote _teenager_ or young adolescent. While he will be spared the typical crushing emotional turmoil, he could still exhibit impulsiveness, poor decision making, identity crises, questioning of authority, and perhaps outright rebellion.

"And, of course, as Xigbar so crudely put it, perhaps an increase in sexual impulses, to boot."

Xigbar reaches out a glove to prod at his neighbor's cheek. "Close your mouth, Axel."

Axel's jaw snaps shut and his eyes narrow at Xigbar in warning, hand lighting up again.

"Axel has taken it upon himself to _supervise _number XIII," Saïx directs at Xigbar, "nothing more."

"Supervise, huh?" Xigbar shrugs, withdrawing his hand, settling back in his seat. "My mistake. No one in their right mind would hook up with their _supervisor._" This remark is blatantly directed at Saïx, who spends suspicious amounts of time with Xemnas, and who blatantly ignores it.

The flames fan up Axel's wrist, but, at a disapproving glance from Saïx, die down.

"It's… just a lot to take in," Axel mumbles for Vexen's benefit.

Now Xigbar's eyes roll. "As if. We've been noticing these changes for months now. I don't need a lab coat to tell you the kid's getting taller, smarter, and mouthier. I been watching it happen. I know you like to have show-and-tell for all your little experiments, Vex, but next time, send us, like, a bullet pointed memo, and give us all some extra shut eye, would ya?"

Ice crystals spread across the table top where Vexen's hand rests, though he looks otherwise disengaged. "As usual, you seem to be failing to grasp the gravity of the situation. Chances are, he'll be near Axel and Saïx's age when the process is complete and his body reaches equilibrium. Roxas' behavior will be highly erratic and the changes will be rapid and painful. Regardless of his age, with the keyblade, he is a force to be reckoned with. This will affect us _all_."

Xigbar groans. "As usual, _you_ seem to be failing to grasp that I couldn't give fewer fucks."

"I agree." Saïx nods, and three mouths dip open. "All the more reason Roxas should continue to carry his weight. This will in no way serve as a pathetic excuse to shirk his duties when he can be bothered to stay awake. Roxas has a job to do, as have we all. I expect the three of you to see to it that he keeps his toes in line—_impulses_ or no."

Xigbar sits back, wondering if all this talk is really necessary, wondering why Saïx feels the relentless need to be so harsh toward Roxas, of all people, his single model employee. Roxas who completes every mission and then some. Roxas who never says no. Sure, the kid has a curious streak. Yeah, he's a little more kind-hearted than the rest. But questioning authority? Rebellion? As if.

But then, he knowswhy Saïx is _really _getting pissy with XIII, and it has more to do with Axel's hormones than Roxas'.

"Have I made myself clear?" Saïx demands, arms crossing.

"Yes, sir," Vexen and Xigbar chorus solemnly.

Axel salutes, two fingers to his temple, voice saucy, taunting, "Yes, _sir_."

"It goes without saying that this conversation is to be kept between the four of us. You are dismissed." Saïx waves them off with a flick of his hand.

"They grow up so fast," Xigbar croons, head shaking, as he and the scientist rise to head out and leave the children to their scheming. "Seems like just yesterday Lea and Isa were tykes, eh, Vexen?"

Axel and Saïx freeze entirely, and Vexen's laughter drags cold air down each of their backs like fingernail scratches.

"How quickly they forget. It's harder for us, I think. Different playground: same boys—bossing around adults, fighting over their toys, knocking each other down into the dirt."

A flaming chakram slams into the wall between the pair of them, and they both veer to the sides.

"One more word," Axel growls when they turn his way, "and I'll set you on fire."

Saïx says nothing, of course, merely glares, but the lack of a reprimand to Axel is support in its own way.

"Apologies, Saïx, Axel." Vexen nods at each but smirks as he walks out. "I meant no offense."

Xigbar stays, attention fixed solely on the red-head. "Careful who you threaten, hot shot." Xigbar pries the weapon out of the wall and tosses it carelessly back as if it doesn't singe his fingertips. "I can take a little heat. And if you're not careful, I might bust your favorite toy."

It's Saïx who stands and catches the chakram, sets it down on the table, with a loud clink, unscathed. "I think you'll find that like all of Axel's toys, Roxas is well-kept and not so easily shattered."

Xigbar's mouth opens for a second before settling into a challenging smirk.

Axel whirls on Saïx, hand resting lightly on his forearm, as the man pulls out his chair and steps away. "C'mon, Saïx… it's not like that…"

Saïx yanks his sleeve through Axel's fingers and steps away, glaring at him with those unfamiliar gold eyes. "Isn't it?"

Saïx walks out, and Xigbar and Axel can only watch him go.

"Well, that coulda gone better," Xigbar mutters, still bemused.

Axel takes a step forward, the way Saïx departed, but this time, gloved, callused hands clutch his shoulders.

Xigbar's voice settles into something quieter, "C'mon, Ax, let it go."

Axel nods and turns to the other kitchen exit. Xigbar's arm sweeps around Axel's back and leads him out into the hall in the direction of their rooms.

Xigbar gestures down the dark, yawning path before them. "You heading to Roxas, then?"

Axel sighs, shrugs. "Might as well."

A flame flickers in Axel's palm, illuminating their path where the silvery glow of Kingdom Hearts can't quite stretch from the window panes.

"So," Xigbar begins conversationally. "You gonna tell the kid when he wakes up?"

Axel's laugh is short and empty. "They'd murder me."

"Eh, yeah," Xigbar nods thoughtfully, "probably so."

"He's smart." Axel's arms cross, he glances down the hall for prying eyes. "He'll figure it out on his own."

"You better hope not." They swing around a bend, automatically weaving left and right, avoiding one of the large divots Larxene put in the ground in a spat with Demyx. "Then they'll murder _him_."

"I won't let it come to that." Axel's words sound light enough, but the genuine intent behind them makes Xigbar pause in his steps. Thoughtlessly, Axel lights the candles in their sconces on the walls around them and they watch each other, warily, their skin ghostly white in the flickering.

"You won't be able to stop it," Xigbar challenges and then pauses to glance around. "Ah, here's where I ran into our little miscreant the other night on his way to see _you_ of all people."

"Why haven't you turned us in?" Axel challenges in a low voice. "What do you want?"

"I'll think of something." Xigbar's smile, his mocking tone, are inscrutable as ever. He sets his glove over the light in Axel's hand and smoke passes between the pieces of leather as it goes out. "A 'thank you' might be a nice start." Xigbar flicks his wrist and the torches extinguish, plunging them into solid darkness.

"…Thank you," Axel murmurs. He can feel leather against his cheek, heat as Xigbar's hand draws his face down, level with his, moisture and the rough scrape of stubble as unfamiliar lips press his cheek.

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Axel feels a playful tug at the silver chain around his neck, and then nothing. Without another word, the pair of them split off.

Axel finds Roxas snoring in his bed. No sheets cover him; Roxas hates to be confined. He's still wearing his coat and boots, but somebody would notice any efforts to make him more comfortable, and people are talking enough as it is.

Axel musses Roxas' hair, and watches him breathe. He waits for his own breaths to slow to the same pace as Roxas', and then, giving his hand a final squeeze, Axel slinks back out into the night, leaving no trace that he's been around in the first place.


End file.
